Rotary internal combustion engine



Nov. 29, 1938. c. w. HALLER 2,138,490

ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Original Filed Jan. 22, 1935 2ySheets-Sheet 1 H 7weiziar w a 6' rwgi azzzgr I 6 days.

Nov. 29, 1938. c. w. HALLER ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE OriginalFiled Jan. 22, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fizderzh? wiys.

l atented Nov. 29, 1938 Q UNTITEDQSTATES.

PATENT orFIc ROTARY manner. coMisUs'rIoN Enema I v Cyrus W. Haller,Marblehead, Mass. I

Substitute m application Serial No. 2,881, Jairuary-22, 1935. Thisapplication August 14,

1937, Serial No. 159,170

11 Claims. (Cl. 123-12) This invention relates to an improved fluidpressure apparatus, such as an internal combusticularly the presentinvention affords an engine wherein relative movement between toothedmembers results in the compression of gas, such as air or air mixedwith. a combustible medium,'

in a succession-of contracting pockets.- When each pocket reachesthe-region of minlmumcapacity, combustion may occur and the expansiveforce of theburning gases causes the relative movement of the'toothedmembers as thepockv and itsvolumetric eificiency may be high. If

ets'increase in size.

Preferably the. toothed members may each be upon one member will engageteeth upon either side so that a pocket is defined. In order to completethe pocket, suitable closure members or plates may be arranged at theends of the teeth.

' 3 Preferably one of the toothed members is in the general form of aninternally toothed annulus, while the other member may be in the form ofa pinion. In order to permit the pockets to have adequate volume even intheir region of minimum capacity, the spaces between the teeth may beundercut or the ends of the teeth may be cutaway a proper amount toafford the desired'compression ratio. Obviously the extent ofundercutting may be varied so that an ordi- 4o nary compression ratiomay be employed with suitable ignition means or a high compression ratiomay be afforded to cause spontaneous ignition according to the Dieselprinciple.

Either the annular member or the pinion may 45 be mounted upon a fixedaxial support, while the other member may be rotatable. Suitable meansmay be provided to aiiord an effective seal to prevent leakage of gas'at the ends of the pockets, and obviously leakage between successivepock- 5o ets is prevented by the contact of the teeth at both sides ofthe pocket, it being noted, however,

that pressure 'diiferentials between successive plicity.

very readily in the motor without necessity for separate moving valveparts orthe like. Fur-.- thermore, a motor of this type may be readilycooled by air, thus further enhancing its sim- To this end a portion ofthe area about 5 the ends of the teeth which are not in mesh may be opento the air'and means may be arranged to direct a draft of air over andbetween these' teeth, thus cooling the metal of both the annular memberand the pinion.*In theIpreferred em- 10 bodiment of this inventionblower elements or blades may be associated with a counterweight,

- which is arranged to counterbalance the pinion so that the, motormaybe perfectly balanced and free from vibration. 15

Afurther important characteristic of the motor is the arrangementof'theparts so that an unusually ample breathing" capacity is affordeddesired, air or a mixture of air with -a ccmbustible vapor or gas may bedirected into both ends of the contracting pockets; also a motor of thistype readily permits the employment of dual ignition.

Due to the arrangement of the parts of such 25 a motor, special ignitiontiming means are not necessary and a simple, vibratory, make-andbreakmechanism may be employed to afford a constant succession of ignitionsparks in the region of minimum pocket capacity. In the accompanyingdrawings,

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a motor embodying the principles ofthis invention;

Fig. 2 is a small clevational detail of such a motor with certain of itsaccessories; 35

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the principal parts of the motor shown inFig. l, certain supporting elements being removedand shown in section;

Fig. 4 is a section indicated by inlet-4 of 40 Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

In the accompanying drawings, the numeral I designates the standards ofa fixed frame,

which includes journal boxes 2 supporting main -shafts 3. Radial arms 4extend from the fixed portions of the boxes 2 to support an annularmember ,5, which, as shown in Fig. 3, is provided with internal teeth 8.These teeth preferably are not truncated, but extend to relativelypointed 'ends.-- Such teeth preferably are of cycloidal form and areprovided with a contour such as is conventionally employed in generatinggear teeth. portions thereof being laid out by the employment ofepicycloidal and hypocycloidal curves in a well known manner.

Disposed between the arms 4 at opposite sides of the motor is a rotaryframe or support I 0 which is provided with an axial member or shaft lldisposed eccentrically in relation to the main shafts 3. A pinion i2 isrotatably mounted upon the shaft Ii and is provided with teeth i3suitably shaped to mesh with the teeth 6 of the annular member 5 withoutany appreciable backlash. Opposite the shaft and pinion l2, the frameIt) is extended to provide a counterweight portion l5 and a support forblades l6 and wipers I! which are arranged to direct air into the spacebetween the teeth of the pinion and annular member which are out ofmesh. The frame l0 may include plates ill having a connecting bar I5extending between their counterweight portions H5.

The plates H) are juxtaposed to the ends of the teeth 6 and i3 in theirregion of contact, and in order to afford effective gas sealing means, Imay provide tapered recesses or compartments i8 which have their largerends disposed nearer the main shafts 3. Suitable wedge-like elements orsealing members l9 and 20 .are disposed within these tapered recessesand normally tend to be forced toward the smaller ends thereof bycentrifugal force, the tapered outer wall of the recesses tending topress the elements [9 and 20 inwardly against the ends of the gear teethto afford a seal. One main shaft 3 may be provided with a bore 25 whichmay communicatev with a passage 26 in' the frame III, that in turncommunicates with an opening 21 in the element :20. Thus air-or acombustible mixture may be fed to the pockets as they move toward theircontracting positions. Obviously, if desired, similar bores and passagesmay be provided at both sides of the engine.

In order to supply air to the bore 25, a blower B (Fig. 2) may beassociated with one of the shafts 3, being arranged to supply a blast ofair through pipe P to a carburetor C. From the carburetor thecombustible mixture may flow through a duct D which communicates withthe open end of the shaft 3. Thus a combustible mixture, which is undera positive pressure, is supplied to the motor.

A spark plug 30 may be arranged with its points disposed in an openingin plate 20 which communicates with the pockets between the teeth attheir region of minimum capacity. An internally threaded opening 98,Fig. 3, is provided in the support it! for the mounting of thespark-plug 30. The cable 3i for this spark plug may extend downwardiy toa suitable duct 34 disposed within the bore 25 of shaft 3. This cablemay be connected to any suitable make-and-break system (not shown) whichis effective in causing a rapid succession of sparks. Obviously asimilar plug may readily be arranged at the opposite side of the motorif dual ignition is desired.

Preferably the spaces between the teeth 6 may In the operation of amotor of this character, the shaft 3 may be set inrotation by anysuitable starter (not shown), or by hand cranking. As successive teethl3 of the pinion l2 move into mesh with the teeth 6 of the annularmember, air is entrapped in the relatively large pockets between theteeth. Thus a relatively large body of air may first be enclosed in thismanner, as for example by a pocket moving away from the positiondesignated A in Fig. 3, it being obvious that when the ends of thepockets are uncovered atmospheric air can readily enter the same. closermesh, the air or combustible gas is compressed until the region ofminimum capacity is approached, as in the 'case of the pocket designatedB'. As the pocket continues its movement it reaches the point ofignition, whereupon combustion occurs and the expansive tendency of thegases is effective in pushing the teeth apart, thus causing continuedrelative movement of the pinion and. annular member and consequentrotation of the main shaft 3. Expansion may be continued until thepocket has a relatively large. capacity and. until the teeth have nearlymoved out of mesh, as in the case of the pocket designated C in Fig. 3,whereupon the ends of the pocket approach the edges of the plates I6",and the pocket is opened to the air and exhausting of the gases occurs.Thereupon as the teeth continue their movement, they are separated fromeach other and are .exposed to the air. As' they approach thecounterbalancing portion l5 of the rotary support ill, the blades iiiare effective in subjecting the teeth l3, which have already cooledsomewhat, to the effect of the blast of cooling air. Since the entiresupport l0 rotates about the shafts 3, the teeth 6 of the. members aresuccessively exposed to the heat of combustion and cooled by the bladesi 6. The large masses of metal about the ends of the pockets aidadequate cooling and avoid danger of warping due to heat.

Lubricant can be supplied to the moving parts by being mixed with thefuel or through suitable oil supply ducts. It is evident that it isdesirable to design the pinion ,so that it may have the maximum size inrelation to the annular member to permit the motor to have a largevolumetric capacity in relation to its weight, such method of designbeing well known in the gear making art.

It is furthermore evident that all of the inherent features of thisinvention may be employed by providing a fixed mounting for the pinionand by rotating the annular member. In other words, the essentialoperation of the motor is only dependent upon the relative movement ofthe pinion and annular member. Obviously if the volume of the spacesprovided by the undercut portions of the annular member'are reduced,sufllcient compression may be provided to permit the motor to run on theDiesel principle so that the ignition means may be omittedand aconventional Diesel type of fuel injector employed.

It is evident that the present invention atfords a simple, light weight,internal combustion engine having the advantages of true rotary motionand permitting. perfect dynamic balance and thus facilitating highspeeds, while permitting a rapid succession of small explosions so thatsmooth operation is assured. It is fur- Thereupon as the teeth move intois particularly adapted to air cooling.

I claim:

1. Apparatus of ing an internally toothed annular member, a pinionmember having teeth meshing with the teeth of the annular member, asupport upon which the pinion member is rotatably mounted in eccentricrelation to the annular member, a connection between the support andannular member permitting relative rotary movement between said supportand said member, the teeth of said members being shaped to definesuccessive pockets during said relative movement. so that said pocketsmove through a region of minimum volume, said support being arranged toclose the ends of said pockets, and means associated with the support tointroduce a combustible gas into the ends of said pockets, and ignitionmeans including a spark plug mounted on said support near the region ofminimum pocket volume.

2. Apparatus of the class described comprising an internally toothedannular member, a pinion member having teeth meshing with the teeth ofthe annular member, a support upon which the pinion member is rotatablymounted in eccentric relation to the annular member, a connectionbetween the support and annular member permitting relative rotarymovement therebetween, the teeth of said members being of the cycloidaltype and shaped to define successive pockets during said relativemovement, said support being arranged to close the ends of said pockets,and means associated with the support to introduce a combustible gasinto the ends of said pockets, one of said members being provided withcontinuous undercut recesses between the roots of its teeth whereby theminimum volume of the pockets is increased.

3. Apparatus of the class described comprising an internally toothedannular member, a pinion member having teeth meshing with the teeth ofthe annular member, a support upon which the pinion'member is rotatablymounted in eccentric relation to the annular member, a connectionbetween the support and annular member permitting relative rotarymovement therebetween, the teeth of said members being of the cycloidaltype and meshing to define successive contracting and expanding pockets,so that said pockets move through a region of minimum volume, saidsupport being arranged to close the ends of said pockets, and meansassociated with the support to introduce a combustible gas into the endsof said pockets.

4. Apparatus of the class described comprising an internally 'toothedannular member, a frame supporting said member, a pinion member havingteeth meshing with the teeth of the annular member to define a series ofpockets, a support upon which the pinion is rotatably mounted ineccentric relation to the annular memben a rotatable shaft concentricwith the annular member, said support being fixed to said shaft torotate therewith and having portions to close the ends of the pockets,said support also having counterbalancing portions diametricallydisposed in relation to said first-named portions.

5. Apparatus of the class described comprising an internally toothedannular member, a frame supporting said member, a pinion member havingteeth meshing with theteeth of the annular member to define .a series ofpockets, a support upon .which the pinion is rotatably mounted ineccentric relation to the annular member, a rotatable shaft concentricwith the the class described comprisannular member, said support beingfixed to said shaft to rotate therewith and having portions to close theends of the pockets, the support being formed so that a part of thespace between the pinion and annular member is uncovered to permitcooling of the teeth which are out of mesh.

6. Apparatus of the class described comprising an internally toothedannular member, a frame supporting said member, a pinion member havingteeth meshing with the teeth of the annular member to define a series ofpockets, a support upon which the pinion is rotatably mounted ineccentric relation to the annular member, a rotatable shaft concentricwith the annular member, said support being fixed to said shaft torotate therewith and having portions to close the ends of the pockets,said support also having counterbalancing portions diametricallydisposed in relation to said first-named portions, the support beingformed so that'a part of the space between the pinion and annular memberis uncovered to permit cooling of the teeth which are out of mesh, andblades supported by the counterbalancing portions of said support toinduce the flow of air through said space.

'7, Apparatus of the class described comprising an internally toothedannular member, a frame supporting said member, a pinion member havingteeth meshing with the teeth of the annular member to define a series ofpockets, a support upon which the pinion is rotatably mounted ineccentric relation to the annular member, a rotatable shaft concentricwith the annular member, said support being fixed to said shaft torotate therewith and having portions to close the ends of the pockets,said portions having recesses with outer walls inclined inwardly towardthe annular member, and sealing members in said recesses having inclinedfaces engaging said walls whereby said members are yieldably'urgedinwardly against the ends of the teeth due to the action of centrifugalforce.

8. Apparatus of the class described comprising an internally toothedannular member, a pinion member having teeth meshing with the teeth ofthe annular member, said members having teeth of the cycloidal typemeshing without substan tial blacklash, a support upon which the pinionmember is rotatably mounted in eccentric relation to the annular'member, a connection between the support and annular member permittingrelative rotary movement therebetween, the teeth of said members beingshaped to define successive pockets during said relative movement, saidsupport being arranged to close the ends of said pockets, said annularmember, pinion member and support cooperating in providing compartmentswhich are tapered radially outward, means to introduce fluid into saidpockets, and tapered sealing elements fitting within said compartmentsand yieldably pressed against the ends of the teeth by the action ofcentrifugal force and due to the tapered shape of said compartments.

9. Apparatus of the class described comprising an internally toothedannular member, a pinion member having 'teeth meshing with the teeth ofthe annular member, 'a support upon which the pinion member is rotatablymounted, connecting means between the support and annular memberdefining a major axis for relative rotation of the support and annularmember, the pinion member being rotatable about a secondary axis whichis eccentric to said major axis, the teeth of said members being shapedto define minimum volume, said support having portions extendingoutwardly from the major axis and closing the opposite ends of saidpockets, said connecting means providing a passage in the region of themajor axis for a combustible gas, the support providing a substantiallyradially disposed continuation of said passage with a port to supplythecombustible gas to the pockets as they are successively approaching theregion of minimum volume, a portion of said support having edges spacedfrom the annular member and pinion to provide an opening iorair to coolthe teeth when they are out of mesh.

10. Apparatus of the class described comprising an internally toothedannular member, a pinion member having teeth meshing with the teeth ofthe annular member, a support upon which the pinion member is rotatablymounted, connecting means between the support and annular memberdefining a major axis .for relative rotation of the support and annularmember, the pinion member being rotatable about a secondary axis whichis eccentric to said axis, the teeth of said members being shaped todefine successive pockets'during said relative rotation so that saidpockets move through a region of minimum volume, said support havingportions extending outwardly from the major axis and closing theopposite ends of said pockets, said support having a shaft extendingbetween said portions to define the secondary axis, and means associatedwith the support to introduce a combustible gas into the ends of thepockets as they are approaching the region of minimum volume.

11. Apparatus of the class described comprising an internally toothedannular member, a pinion 'member having teeth meshing with the teeth ofthe annular member, a support upon which the pinion member is rotatablymounted, connecting means between the support and annular memberdefining a major axis for relative rotation 01' the support and annularmember, the pinion member being rotatable about a secondary axis whichis eccentric to said major axis, the teeth of said members being shapedto define successive pockets during said relative rotation so that saidpockets move through a region of minimum volume, said support havingportions extending outwardly from the major axis and closing theopposite ends of said pockets, said support having a shaft extendingbetween said portions to define the secondary axis, the support alsoproviding a passage and a port to introduce a combustible gas into oneend of each pocket as it is approaching the region of minimum volume.

CYRUS W. HALLER.

